Iranian religions explained

The Iranian religions, also known as the Persian religions, are, in the context of comparative religion, a grouping of religious movements that originated in the Iranian plateau, which accounts for the bulk of what is called "Greater Iran".

Background

The beliefs, activities, and cultural events of the ancient Iranians in ancient Iran are complex matters. The ancient Iranians made references to a combination of several Aryans and non-Aryan tribes. The documented history of Iranian religions begins with Zoroastrianism. The ancient Iranian prophet, Zoroaster, reformed the early beliefs of ancient Iranians, the reconstructed Ancient Iranian religion, into a form of henotheism/monotheism.^[1] The Gathas, hymns of Zoroaster's Avesta, introduced monotheistic ideas to Persia, while through the Yashts and Yasna, mentions are made to polytheism and earlier creeds. The Vedas and the Avesta have both served researchers as important resources in discovering early Proto-Indo-Iranian religion^[2] beliefs and ideas,^[3] the various beliefs and practices from which the later indigenous religion of the Iranian and Indo-Aryan peoples evolved.

Antiquity

• Ancient Iranian religion: The ancient religion of the Iranian peoples
  • Scythian religion: The religion of the Scythians and precursor to modern Uatsdin. Some researchers further speculate that Daevas may partly be based on Scythian gods, hence further influences across Iranian religions as a whole.^[4]
• Zoroastrianism: The present-day umbrella term for the indigenous native beliefs and practices of the Iranian peoples. While present-day Zoroastrianism is monolithic, a continuation of the elite form of the Sasanian Empire, in antiquity it had several variants or denominations, differing slightly by location, ethnic affiliation and historical period. It once had large population and high diversity.
  • Zurvanism: By the late Achaemenid Empire, Zoroastrianism was also evident as Zurvanism (Zurvanite Zoroastrianism), a monist dualism that had a following as late as the Sasanian Empire.
  • Mazdakism: A late-5th or early-6th century proto-socialist gnosticism that sought to do away with private property.
• Mithraism: A mystery religion centred around the proto-Zoroastrian Persian god Mithras that was widely practised in the Roman Empire from about the 1st to the 4th century CE
• Manichaeism: A 3rd century dualist religion that may have been influenced by Mandaeism. Manichaeans believe in a "Father of Greatness" (Aramaic: Abbā dəRabbūṯā, Persian: pīd ī wuzurgīh) and observe Him to be the highest deity (of light).
• Yazidism^[5]

Medieval period

Some religionists made syncretic teachings of Islam and local beliefs and cults such as Iranian paganism, Zurvanism, Manichaeism and Zoroastrianism.^[6]

• The early Islamic period saw the development of Persian mysticism, a traditional interpretation of existence, life and love with Perso-Islamic Sufi monotheism as its practical aspect. This development believed in a direct perception of spiritual truth (God), through mystic practices based on divine love.
• Khurramites, a 9th-century religious and political movement based on the 8th century teachings of Sunpadh, who preached a syncretism of Shia Islam and Zoroastrianism. Under Babak Khorramdin, the movement sought the redistribution of private wealth and the abolition of Islam.
• Behafaridians, an 8th-century cult movement around the prophet Behafarid. Although the movement is considered to have its roots in Zoroastrianism, Behafarid and his followers were executed on charges (made by Zoroastrians) of harm to both Zoroastrianism and Islam.
• Yarsanism, a religion which is believed to have been founded in the late 14th century. The basis of faith is belief in one God, who manifests in 1 primary form and 6 secondary ones, and together they are the Holy Seven.
• Druze faith: an esoteric, monotheistic ethnic religion whose tenets include reincarnation and the eternity of the soul. It was founded by the Persian Hamza ibn Ali ibn Ahmad, an Ismaili mystic from Khorasan, and another important early preacher and 'prophet' of the religion was the Persian ad-Darazi, after whom the religion has taken its name.

Modern

• Assianism/Uatsdin, revival of Ossetian ethnic religion (see: Ossetian mythology)
• Roshanniya Movement, a set of monotheistic teachings of Pir Roshan which his people followed.
• Bábism, a mid-19th century monotheistic religion founded by the Báb that was a predecessor of the Baháʼí Faith.
• Baháʼí Faith, an emerging monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh, a 19th-century Persian exile.

See also

• Religion of Iranian-Americans
• Dabestan-e Mazaheb

Bibliography

• Alessandro Bausani, Religion in Iran: From Zoroaster to Bahaullah, Bibliotheca Persica, 2000
• Richard Foltz, Religions of Iran: From Prehistory to the Present, London: Oneworld, 2013.

Notes and References

1. Book: Boyce, M. . A History of Zoroastrianism, Zoroastrianism under the Achaemenians . Brill . Handbook of Oriental Studies. Section 1 The Near and Middle East . 2015 . 978-90-04-29390-8 . 15 Feb 2022 . 17.
2. Relating Religion: Essays in the Study of Religion by Jonathan Z. Smith
3. Jahangir Oshidri (1997), Mazdisna encyclopedia , Markaz Publishers, 1st publish..
4. Mary Boyce, A History of Zoroastrianism: Volume II: Under the Achaemenians, BRILL, 1982
5. Encyclopedia: Allison . Christine . YAZIDIS i. GENERAL . live . . . . 20 September 2016 . 20 July 2004 . 10.1163/2330-4804_EIRO_COM_1252 . 2330-4804 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161117105537/https://iranicaonline.org/articles/yazidis-i-general-1 . 17 November 2016 . 9 January 2022.
6. The Nativist Prophets of Early Islamic Iran: Rural Revolt and Local Zoroastrianism by Patricia Crone . 10.1353/isl.2015.0028 . 2015 . Algar . Hamid . Journal of Shi'a Islamic Studies . 8 . 3 . 367–378 . 147683295 .